Ricky Kej backs 'One Nation, One Election', says it will reduce costs and disruptions
Bengaluru, May 19
Bengaluru Grammy award-winning musician and Padma Shri awardee Ricky Kej shared his views on the 'One Nation, One Election' proposal during a discussion held in Bengaluru.
The Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, held a consultation on the subject, where Committee Chairman P. P. Chaudhary interacted with Padma awardees and media representatives.
While speaking to ANI, Ricky Kej said he felt "very grateful" to be invited for the consultation. He also spoke about how simultaneous elections could help reduce costs and avoid repeated implementation of the model code of conduct in the country.
"I feel very grateful that I have been called for this consultation on 'One Nation, One Election'...'One Nation, One Election' is going to cost less than the requirement for infrastructure, the model code of conduct is not going to happen now and then...We need to focus more on long-term solutions and I think having an election every four to five years will help..." Kej told ANI.
Meanwhile, the exercise reflects Parliament's commitment to an inclusive and evidence-based deliberative process on proposals that carry far-reaching implications for India's constitutional architecture, electoral framework and governance systems.
During the visit, the committee also engaged with a wide spectrum of stakeholders, including constitutional authorities, elected representatives, political parties (including regional parties), legal experts, administrative institutions, financial and educational bodies, industry and professional organisations, and representatives of civil society.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Ricky Kej is a brilliant artist but this feels like a celebrity endorsing something without understanding ground realities. Have you seen how diverse our state elections are? Not everything can fit into one box.
I agree with him about the model code of conduct issue. We can't have development stopped every 6 months because of elections. But the devil is in the details — what happens if a state government falls mid-term? Freeze it till the next national election? That's undemocratic.
Cost saving is important but democracy is not a business. Multiple elections give people more opportunities to choose their leaders. One election every 5 years is risky — look at what happened with the pandemic? Things change fast. 😟
If it saves crores of rupees and reduces disruptions to governance, I'm all for it. We spend too much on elections every year. The money could go to roads, schools, hospitals. Kej is a thoughtful artist — good to see him engaged in policy debates. 👏
This is clearly being pushed by the ruling party to consolidate power. Why is a musician being invited to a parliamentary committee consultation? Should be economists, political scientists, constitutional experts. Tokenism at its finest.
One Nation One Election sounds good in theory but in a federal system, states have their own political cycles.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.